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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25194628">A Crystalline Secret</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Closeted_Bookworm/pseuds/Closeted_Bookworm'>Closeted_Bookworm</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Video Blogging RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Crystal Gems (Steven Universe), Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Gem Fusion, Gen, Happy Ending, Pain, Salsa dancing, Unus Annus</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 09:08:17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,635</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25194628</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Closeted_Bookworm/pseuds/Closeted_Bookworm</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Ethan had put a lot of work into keeping his parentage and its effects as secret, but hiding the fact that he had a gem on his back from one of his best friends was not an easy task. Especially when filming certain things for Unus Annus.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Mark Fischbach &amp; Ethan Nestor</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>122</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. A Reluctant Duet</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Just a quick heads-up: this is my interpretation of a half-gem, half-human hybrid. It's not exactly canon. :)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ethan nervously tapped his leg and tried his best to focus on the road in front of him, feeling considerably more fidgety than normal. They were filming the salsa dancing video for Unus Annus today, and he was worried he might be found out. He knew he shouldn't be so anxious, it wasn't the first time he and Mark had danced together, but this time felt different. This time they were dancing <i>together</i> together, as partners, at least he assumed they were. He was scared of what might happen. He'd tried to convince Mark to pick a type of dance where they wouldn't have to touch each other, but his friend wasn't having any of it. He'd had his eye on the salsa studio for a while, and Ethan didn't have any real reason to object without revealing his secret. </p><p>A tingle ran up his spine, and he reached around and gently touched the spot his gem sat concealed on the small of his back. An unusual spot, certainly, but then again, what about him wasn't unusual? He wasn't even supposed to exist. His mother wasn't supposed to fall in love with his father, or promise to live on earth for the rest of his life, or have a child, who now had to spend his whole life hiding what he was for fear of other gems discovering and reporting his mother. But here he was, trying to conceal his half-gem side from one of his closest friends while filming for a channel where they seemed to end up shirtless more often than not. He'd taken to wearing a concealing patch over his cat's eye chrysoberyl every time he filmed with Mark, on the off chance plans would change and he'd have to show his lower back. The beer sauna video had almost done him in; he'd needed to keep his hand awkwardly over his gem until he could get his shirt back on so they wouldn’t see it. Mark had given him some weird looks after that, but hadn't asked questions. He'd gotten very good at using latex and makeup to blend the 3-inch crystal into the natural curve of his back, and Mark had never noticed. Why should that change today? </p><p>Maybe it was because they were dancing today. Fusing with Mark wasn't possible, as far as he knew, but he was worried anyway. Even though some of his siblings could, he'd never been able to fuse, though it certainly wasn’t from lack of trying. Logically, there was nothing to worry about, but here he was, so many butterflies in his stomach he thought he might be able to fly to the dance studio.</p><p>He gritted his teeth as another shiver rippled outwards from his back, turning on the radio in the hopes it would calm him down. He'd learned his gem tended to get weird whenever he was nervous, sending him shocks like some sort of malfunctioning fight or flight reflex. One of his siblings had the same issue, and his parents were pretty sure it was just some fluke that came from the two types of DNA not mixing well. Nothing he could do but deal with it, unfortunately. He wished it would at least wait until he was off the road before giving him a muscle cramp. </p><p>He pulled into the parking lot of the studio with a sigh, trying to massage some of the residual ache out of his back without ripping the latex patch. At least it wasn't actively causing him pain for the moment. </p><p>Mark and Any were waiting in the lobby of the studio with their instructor, fiddling with some settings on the cameras in preparation for filming. They looked up as the bell hanging above the door announced his arrival, Mark giving him a happy smile and a greeting. Ethan responded in kind, for all appearances as cheerful as he normally would be. He ignored the pang in his back as they walked into the room they'd be using for the video, maintaining his happy-go-lucky exterior as curling snakes of anxiety replaced the butterflies in his gut while they set up. Why was he so nervous about this? Nothing was going to happen. </p><p>As they attached their mikes, he noticed with surprise that Mark was biting at the dry skin on his lips, something he only did when he was especially anxious. Why was <i>Mark</i> nervous? It was his idea, right? Was he that bad of a dancer? </p><p>As the video got underway, he tried to forget his reservations and get into the flow of their usual banter, concentrating on learning the steps and coming up with witty comebacks for anything his friend might throw his way. The snakes in his belly were still there, but he was trying unsuccessfully to deny their existence until something happened that justified their presence. </p><p>That something came in the form of learning the proper position for partner dancing. Mark moved to rest his hand on the small of Ethan’s back, and he jumped away, startled. His gem pinged as his heart rate picked up. </p><p>"Man, you good?" Mark asked with a smirk. "I don't think the bunny hop is what we're going for here."</p><p>Ethan laughed, trying to hide his nerves and calm himself down. "Yeah, I thought we'd try that instead."</p><p>"What, a fusion?" he asked, and Ethan’s eyes widened. </p><p>"W-what?"</p><p>"Of styles," Mark said with a wide smile, but there was a question in his eyes about his friend’s extreme reaction. "Throw a little disco or ballet in the mix?"</p><p>Ethan let out the breath he didn't know he was holding. "Oh, yeah." He tried an exaggerated impression of a ballerina, eliciting a giggle and an equally flamboyant twirl from Mark. They laughed off the sudden moment of weirdness, one with more trouble than the other. They got back to the salsa. </p><p>"I'll lead," Ethan announced quickly, placing his hand on Mark's back before he could object. He held in a shudder as his gem reacted with a stinging shot of pain.</p><p>"Fine with me," his friend compromised, placing his hand on Ethan’s shoulder. The rest of the class went off almost without a hitch, ending with the both of them giggling exhaustedly together as they walked out to their cars, remembering their awkward attempt at the Dirty Dancing lift. The only damper on Ethan’s returning good mood was the continued jarring stabs from his gem.</p><p>His gem tingled again as he hugged Mark hugged goodbye, and he tensed as as the muscles in his back twitched involuntarily. Mark pulled out of the hug, eyeing him strangely. </p><p>"You okay?"</p><p>"Yeah, of course," he replied, smiling winningly. "Why wouldn't I be?"</p><p>"You just get weird when I touch you sometimes, and earlier with your back-"</p><p>"I just have a thing where I don't like that spot touched for whatever reason," Ethan tried to reassure him. "It's nothing."</p><p>"If you say so," his friend replied, accepting the explanation. "See you tomorrow for filming."</p><p>"See ya!" he called back, walking over to his car. He got in and sat back in his seat, watching Mark drive away. He groaned and rubbed the tender spot on his back. Nothing had happened. They didn’t accidentally fuse. There was no reason for him to be nervous anymore. Why was his gem still acting up? </p><p>He noticed it happened more often when he was filming. Was he getting camera shy and nervous because of that? No, that didn't make sense. He was fine filming videos for his own channel. It was just the Unus Annus stuff that made his gem pinch like a clamp on his skin. </p><p>He drove home in silence, his gem thankfully dormant the whole drive. When he got home, he peeled off his shirt and scraped off the patch, twisting around to look at the yellow-green jewel winking in the light. He gingerly tapped it with a fingernail, not really trusting it not to shock him again, but it didn’t do anything. He itched the continually irritated skin around it, careful not to scrape his nails along the gem equivalent of his cuticles. He rolled his shoulders, trying to relieve some of the tension. He needed to let off steam. </p><p>Discarding his shirt on the couch so the fabric wouldn’t rough up his angry, red skin any further, he pushed the kitchen table aside and moved the chairs into the living room, leaving a large open space in the center of the dining room. He closed the blinds and turned out the lights, letting a smile creep into view as he closed his eyes and dug inside himself. He concentrated, his gem twinkling and flashing in the dim room, and a small lime green paint brush burst into existence in his clenched first. He opened his eyes and couldn't keep back his wide smile, a completely genuine one this time. He plopped down onto the floor and started to trace intricate designs onto the hardwood, the pastel bristles leaving soft luminescent trails wherever they went. The tension slowly drained out of his tightly-wound muscles as he looped lazy circles across the floor, abstract patterns springing from his brush almost like they had a life of their own. Completing a circle around himself, his brush moved onto his own skin, patterning it with graceful stripes and swirls as he relished the soothing feeling of the light on his arms and legs. Being half-gem did have occasional advantages. </p><p>He sat painting for nearly an hour, the room around him shining with ethereal light. He basked in the peaceful glow, lying down and staring at the ceiling above him, which glimmered with dozens of painted-on stars. He slipped into a light doze, returning his brush to his gem as he dropped off. The paint would sadly only last a couple hours, but he didn't mind. He'd just nap for a little while, and it would be gone when he woke up.</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>---</p>
</div>A loud knock startled him out of sleep. He bolted upright, disoriented and only half-awake. The noise of his doorbell echoed through the house, and he scrambled to his feet, wincing as a head rush hit him. His brain felt foggy. He flicked on the lights and stumbled towards the door, sure it must be a package. Anyone he knew personally would have texted to confirm he was home before coming over, and he’d ordered a new tripod a couple of days ago. He waited a few moments, giving the delivery man time to leave, then pulled open the door.<p>Mark was on the porch. Ethan yelped and slammed the door on instinct, his confused and tired brain taking the only option that presented itself as he suddenly realized he was shirtless. He darted towards the living room to retrieve his shirt, a shot of adrenaline waking him up as Mark yelled something muffled from behind the door. He was struggling to pull his shirt over his head when he heard the door open. He froze in fear and guilt, back towards the door. <i>His gem was exposed. </i></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So, uh, just realized that Beer Sauna was filmed after Salsa dancing. Oops.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. A Painful Revelation</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>He heard Mark gasp, breaking him out of his freeze. He yanked the shirt over his head and turned around to face his friend, curled in on himself as he awaited his reaction. </p><p>Mark was staring at him, mouth agape and car keys threatening to fall from his hand. Ethan started to tear up as his friend took in his appearance, his gem sending a painful jolt up his body. </p><p>"Well, now you know," he said bitterly, cursing his own carelessness. Mark didn’t move. Why wouldn't he react? It was so much worse to have him just stand there emotionless. He needed to see the fear, or disgust, or pity, or whatever he decided to feel. Anything but the blank stare he was getting now. "Say something."</p><p>Without uttering a word, Mark walked over and sat down on the couch behind Ethan, starting to roll up his left pant leg. As Ethan watched in shock, Mark showed him his knee, where a large crimson gem rested instead of a kneecap. </p><p>Ethan tackled him in a hug with a joyful shout, tears leaking out of the corners of his eyes. Mark returned the hug, sighing in relief. The gem in Ethan’s back twinged uncomfortably, probably because his emotions were running high. </p><p>"You have one too?" Ethan said happily, face buried in his friend's shoulder. </p><p>"Yeah, I do," he answered breathlessly. "Carnelian."</p><p>"Confidence and vitality?"</p><p>"Yeah. You?"</p><p>"Cat's eye chrysoberyl. Supposed to represent good fortune. Which evidently is true."</p><p>Ethan pulled out of the hug and laughed giddily, running a hand through his hair. He could hardly believe his luck. He wouldn't have to worry about keeping this a secret from his friend any more. He settled down on the couch, gazing at the beautiful scarlet crystal on his friend's leg. </p><p>"Is this why you were acting strange earlier today?" Mark asked him. </p><p>"Yeah," he confessed. "My gem was being weird since I was nervous."</p><p>"Being weird?"</p><p>"It hurts sometimes if I'm anxious or feeling another strong emotion. Nothing to worry about."</p><p>"Is that normal?" </p><p>"No idea, but it's been doing it my whole life and I'm still here. Does yours do that?"</p><p>"It doesn’t hurt per se, but it just kind of feels different when we film together. I noticed you acting odd when we were filming, and how nervous you were about dancing together, and thought we might be going through the same thing." He sheepishly admitted, "I was coming over today to tell you about my gem. Sorry I scared you."</p><p>"It's okay. I just got kind of freaked out. I should have told you a long time ago."</p><p>Ethan reached over and hugged his friend again, but a sharp pain stabbed through him and he snatched his hands back, gasping as electric shudders ran through him. Mark looked at him in concern. </p><p>"What's wrong?"</p><p>Ethan was breathing heavily as the pain subsided. "Gem shocked me." </p><p>"Can I see?" Mark asked hesitantly. </p><p>Ethan turned around and lifted the back of his shirt, the light playing beautifully across the curved surface of his gem. It looked fine except for a slight redness in the surrounding skin. Mark reached out a finger and touched the smooth stone, and Ethan arched his back and hissed as an agonizing jolt from his gem shrieked through him. </p><p>"What's it doing?" Mark asked worriedly. </p><p>"Don't know," Ethan got out through clenched teeth. The pain was coming in waves, worse than usual. </p><p>"Are you too worked up right now or something?"</p><p>"No. Argh-" The stings were intensifying, radiating in excruciating rings from his gem. He bit his lip and braced himself on the arm of the couch.</p><p>"What's happening?” Mark was scared, casting about for something he could do to help but coming up empty. It felt like the time Ethan had an allergy attack in front of him; the same raw, panicky feeling was cartwheeling in his gut. </p><p>Ethan jerked and spasmed, holding back a yell as the pain kept building. He started to fall off the couch, and Mark caught him, his hand brushing up against the gem. Ethan screamed as his back exploded in pain at the touch, and he shoved himself away from his friend. He grunted as his shoulder blade collided heavily with the floor, and Mark reached out to help him up.</p><p>“Don’t touch!” he yelled, squeezing his eyes shut as he tried to deal with the pain. Mark retracted his hand, awful possibilities running through his head as Ethan writhed on the floor.</p><p>“I’m calling 911!”</p><p>“No! Gem, ‘member?” Ethan could barely get the words out. He dug into his feelings, trying to figure out what was happening as he fought through the pain. His paintbrush exploded out of him and dropped to the floor beside him as he connected to his gem side, and he burrowed deeper. His gem wanted something. Needed something. What did it need? It was desperate, pent-up, starving, lonely-</p><p>Lonely? Lonely. That one was the strongest. Why was it lonely? It was getting hard to think with the level of pain he was in. </p><p>It wanted other gems. As he strengthened his connection with his gem he became aware of a pulsing desire to connect with another, to be part of something bigger. It wanted to fuse. He could feel it reaching out for the gem in Mark. But he couldn’t fuse. It wasn’t possible. </p><p><i>Fuse,</i> his gem insisted. <i>FUSE.</i></p><p>He cracked open his eyes to see Mark standing over him with an agonized expression, torn between reaching out to help and holding back because he had said to. He pushed through the agony and forced himself to his feet. </p><p>“Dance with me,” he told Mark.</p><p>“What? Now?”</p><p>“Gem wants it. Can you?”</p><p>“Yeah, of course, but is this a good idea?”</p><p>“Don’t know. Please.”</p><p>“Okay.”</p><p>He grabbed Mark’s hands and his knees almost buckled from the pain, but he fought through it as his friend spun him in a circle. It felt like his gem was tearing a hole in his flesh, but he kept going. Mark led him through a crudely simplified version of the salsa from earlier, supporting almost all of his weight as he struggled to stay standing. </p><p>They danced as his human side and his gem side fought each other. One wanted desperately to fuse, one was fighting to keep his body in one piece. He wasn’t sure which side was winning, but he was going to faint if the pain didn’t subside soon. </p><p>Then, abruptly, it vanished. He felt lightheaded and woozy, like he was detached from everything, but surprisingly peaceful. He could sense Mark; he could feel his worry and confusion draining away as the peaceful feeling made its way to him too. A brilliant white light surrounded them.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. A Peaceful Realization</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The light gradually receded, and where the two men had stood dancing, only one remained. He looked down at himself. Soft pastel greens and reds swirled sluggishly across his skin, curling gracefully down each of his four arms. He noted with surprise that he had three feet, the scarlet carnelian nestled comfortably on the knee of the middle one. The floor was much farther away than it had been before, but the ceiling was still a foot or so above his head. Pitch black hair fell into his eyes, and he tucked it behind his ears, feeling the rough stubble on his chin. As his hand brushed his cheek, he realized with a start that he now also had two extra eyes, one on each cheekbone. </p>
<p>He spun in a dizzy circle, laughing with joy. His bones were filled with a curiously pleasant burning sensation, and he practically sizzled with power. This felt <i>wonderful</i>. He felt bigger in so many ways besides physically. Why had he never done this before?</p>
<p>Wait, yes he had. When he was little-</p>
<p>No, that was you, this is us-</p>
<p>Not us. </p>
<p>Just one person. He wasn’t Ethan, and he wasn’t Mark. </p>
<p>Who was he?</p>
<p>He was separate. He knew how this worked, something deep inside was telling him, but it was still foreign. He was someone new. So that must mean he needed a name. He thought for a moment. The sarcastic part of him immediately suggested “Crankiplier,” but he discarded that immediately, albeit with an appreciative chuckle. He needed something different. </p>
<p>Methan? Eark? No, that one just sounded weird. Something more creative. </p>
<p>Unus Annus brought them together. Why not draw a name from that? Memento Mori was good, but pretty long. How about just Mori for short?</p>
<p>“Mori.” He tried out the sound of it on his tongue, discovering with a pleased grin it was forked. The name sprang from his lips like a summer breeze. It felt right. It sounded casual and inviting, like a friend, and it was simple, but it also represented something deeper, something important to their relationship. He liked it. </p>
<p>Existential crisis resolved, he set about exploring what he could do. He quickly discovered that he could lift the entire couch with no problem whatsoever, and the table and shelves as well. He would have held them over his head if his ceiling had allowed it. He wondered the maximum amount of weight he’d be able to lift. He could probably carry Amy on his shoulders with no trouble, and he’d love to have a go at deadlifting a car. His gymnastics ability also seemed to have increased, though he didn’t have enough room to do much more than a couple simple flips. He longed to go outside and see what he could really do, but he knew that there was no way he could risk being seen by other people like this. He was unfortunately confined to the house.</p>
<p>There were still lots of things he could do here, though. A bright smile lit up his face, and he summoned his weapon with a burst of red and green light. An enormous paint roller with a pole the length of his body and a sharp spearhead at the other end exploded into existence. What two weapons was it a combination of? Ah, yes, Ethan had a paintbrush, and Mark had a javelin. A paint roller with a spear for a handle made sense. He hefted it in his grip, testing the weight and feel of it. It didn’t seem like it’d be much good for throwing, and the two foot long sponge saturated with green paint certainly ruined any attempt at being aerodynamic. It would be formidable if swung, though, and he’d hate to be at the other end of a lunge from this thing. Not that he’d ever have anything to lunge at, but he could hope. He turned it around and examined the less threatening end of his weapon. It would cover a lot more surface area than the tiny brush, that was for sure. </p>
<p>He wondered if the paint itself was any different. He painted a stripe on the floor, delighted to find that it went down with an exquisite pattern of darker emerald threading through the lime and pastel greens, tracing stripes and curlicues across the dark hardwood wherever the brush went. He ran over to the lightswitch and flicked it off, gasping with glee as the pigment shone through the dark like a beacon. He sat down on the floor, much like Ethan had earlier, and colored the room around him, reveling in the enchanting designs blanketing the space. He laid back in absolute contentment, happy with the world. This felt so good. </p>
<p>He closed his eyes with a soft sigh. A gentle white light joined the green bathing him, and he let the split happen, the awesome strength receding but the elation remaining. When the glow faded, Mark and Ethan were left laying side by side, hands intertwined and staring upwards as they simply enjoyed the peace they had created together. </p>
<p>Ethan’s gem didn’t hurt anymore. He felt whole and satisfied, like he’d just had an especially filling meal and was ready to sleep it off. He closed his eyes and reached out to his stone, trying to see if the problem had been fixed, but he couldn’t feel it. His eyes shot open. He couldn’t feel it? He sat up, and Mark looked over with mild concern. </p>
<p>“How are you doing?”</p>
<p>He reached around and touched the jewel in his back, making sure it was still there, and the smooth surface felt exactly like it always had. What was wrong? He’d always been able to “contact” his gem, almost like talking to another living thing that just happened to be attached to him, but now he couldn’t. He didn’t feel like something was wrong, though. If anything, he felt better than he ever had. He was still half-gem, right?</p>
<p>He closed his eyes and got ready to try summoning his paintbrush, but as soon as he thought of it, it appeared in his hands, as easily as flexing a muscle. He opened his eyes and stared at it in amazement. It had never been that simple or fast before. </p>
<p>Mark appeared more worried now. “Are you okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost or something. Is your gem alright now?”</p>
<p>Ethan was thinking hard. “I’m pretty sure it is. I feel really different, though. Before, my gem was kind of separate from myself, but now it’s just a part of me.” He looked towards Mark with awe written in his face. “I’ve never been able to fuse before.”</p>
<p>“Really?” Mark said with interest as he sat up. “I’ve always been able to, though I haven’t in a bit. What do you mean it felt separate from yourself?”</p>
<p>“I always had to reach out with my mind and work in order to get my paintbrush. But now, it’s only a thought away. It’s so much easier.” His eyes brightened with realization. “What’s it like when you call your weapon?”</p>
<p>Mark considered this for a second. “I don’t know, I just do it.” His crimson javelin appeared in his hand with a flash of light. “It never takes any effort for me.”</p>
<p>Ideas were running through Ethan’s head almost faster than he could process them. </p>
<p>“What if my gem side and my human side were fighting each other? Like, my human bits were trying to make sure my gem bits didn’t turn my whole body into light, but then when I got older my gem matured with my body and let me fuse, which made them accept each other?”</p>
<p>“Sounds plausible,” Mark said with a thoughtful frown. “So will it stop causing you pain every time we’re together?”</p>
<p>“No idea,” Ethan replied, “but it’s not hurting right now, which is a start. Here,” he turned his back towards Mark, “tap my gem. Touch is what triggered it most before.”</p>
<p>His friend carefully laid one finger on the glossy stone, and Ethan laughed with relief when not a single shudder ran through him. </p>
<p>“Nothing!” he cried. “It’s not shocking me. Mori really saved the day, huh?”</p>
<p>They smiled at each other. Ethan suddenly became aware of the inherent intimacy of fusing. It felt very personal, sharing a part of himself he’d never shared with anyone else. Their friendship felt deeper than it did before.</p>
<p>“That was really something, yeah?” he said a little hesitantly. </p>
<p>“Yeah,” Mark agreed. “Next time, we’re doing it where we have some more space and stuff to climb.”</p>
<p>“Next time?” he said, surprise evident in his tone. He kind of hadn’t expected it to happen again.</p>
<p>“It’s probably not a good idea to do it often, but I’d love to fuse again,” Mark said. “If you’re okay with it.”</p>
<p>“Yeah!” Ethan said happily. “That would be great.” A world of possibilities had opened itself up to him. “Oh man, next time I go back to Maine I’m going to have to try fusing with my mom and siblings. Have you fused with anyone besides family? Are there other half-gems I could meet?”</p>
<p>“Just one,” he scratched his neck and looked sheepish. “There’s something you should know about Amy…”</p>
<p>Ethan’s jaw dropped. “No way.”</p>
<p>“Purple fluorite. It’s on the back of her neck.”</p>
<p>“You’ve got to be kidding me. What’s that represent? Energy and synergy or something like that-”</p>
<p>“Energy and harmony, yeah.”</p>
<p>Ethan shook his head. “I really should’ve told you guys a long time ago. Would’ve saved myself a lot of heartache and stress.”</p>
<p>“I don’t blame you. After all, we didn't tell you about ours either.”</p>
<p>Ethan grinned and the two men hugged each other. He had never put too much stock in the superstitions around gems, but maybe his cat’s eye brought good luck after all.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Sorry for the long wait, but I hope this lives up to expectations!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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